Home
by Ceolsige
Summary: FE7 . Nergal has been defeated, and it's time for everyone to go home. But Wil must ask himself: Where is his home? Or rather... with whom? RathxWil, plus others. Shounen ai, het, shoujo ai. Chapter 3: Wil makes the decision...
1. Chapter 1: Valor

A/N: Forgive the bad summary. This is my first attempt at fan fiction in… well, a really really long time. It's the first fic I've ever posted on here, though hopefully not the last. I noticed the severe lack of shounen ai on here lately, and after having read virtually every shounen ai fic on here about 10 times, I figured it's time I tried my hand at it. This definitely isn't my best work, and this is NOT a one-shot. I swear, it'll get more interesting as it goes. And forgive me for any errors I make, I'm only on my second time through the game. And typos. I'm the queen of bad proofreading.

As for pairings? Rath/Wil is obviously the main one, though there'll be a lot of other couples, mostly shounen ai, but also het and even possibly a shoujo ai one. Some couples are undecided, but that's only a small few. If you don't like the pairings, please don't complain. Or else.

Disclaimer: If I owned FE, this wouldn't be on now, I hope desperately that you enjoy my fic.

* * *

**Home  
****Chapter 1: Valor**

* * *

It was finally over. 

After all that time, all the struggles, all the countless battles, all the allies, all the enemies, all the lives lost… It was finally over. Nergal was dead and gone, and Nils and Ninian had gone back home.

The shock of it all had taken quite a time to sink in. Everyone had wandered back to camp, bewildered and listless, like ghosts wandering aimlessly about the earth. Ninian was alive, but she was gone. As was Nils. It was as if they lost anyways.

People seemed almost afraid to celebrate. Everyone kept on stealing glances at Eliwood, who wasn't showing any kind of emotion at all. Hector and Lyn were constantly exchanging worried glances from behind him, wondering if he'd be okay. Mark looked like the walking dead. His face was white, and his head was drooping as he rode on his horse. He'd stayed up all night preparing for the battle.

Everyone else was tired and worn. Those lucky enough to have horses gave rides to those who had to walk on foot. Some slept as they rode towards the camp. It had been a long day, and a hard battle. But it was over.

It was the next morning when everyone arrived back, a panicky Merlinus greeting them all, prodding for information on what happened. Eliwood had simply held up a hand shook his head.

"You'll be informed once we've all had adequate rest," he told the merchant wearily. Merlinus nodded his understanding, though disappointed, and watched as everyone retreated to their respective tents, desperate for the sleep that they all deserved.

But the quietness of the morning had died away when the moon had risen, and everyone had their proper rest.

Wil was one of the last to rise.

He probably wouldn't have woken up at all, had someone not shrieked outside his tent. He awoke with a start and popped his head of the tent, only to see Florina hiding behind Lyn, and Kent giving a scolding to a rather drunken Sain. Kent's scolding didn't seem to affect Sain much, considering the man grabbed his younger comrade and kissed him full on the lips. Kent froze, Florina gasped, and Lyn broke into hysterical laughter. Wil couldn't help but follow suit with Lyn.

He ducked back into his tent and pulled on his overshirt and boots, and reached for his bow instinctively, but then remembered what all the celebrating was for. He laughed and stepped outside again.

People were everywhere, dancing, drinking and singing (or trying to), all celebrating their victory. Someone had started playing music somewhere, though who, Wil couldn't fathom, since their resident bard had left them.

Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector were sitting together, laughing by one of the fires. Wil smiled at the sight; he hated to see anyone sad or depressed, especially someone as kind as the red-haired lord. He'd lost quite a lot on the journey, but he looked happy enough. And when he said something to Hector that him shoot beer out of his nose, he looked even happier.

Wil trotted contentedly throughout the camp, looking around at the various couples that had formed. Serra was chatting merrily with Priscilla and Canas, her arm linked with Erk's, who was trying very hard to stay with their conversation, but always looked distracted and blushed when Serra turned to him and batted her eyelashes, or snuggled up close to him. Wil grinned; it was about time they got together.

Continuing on, he saw Nino sitting in Jaffar's lap, merrily humming a tune, though she still looked quite tired. Jaffar's arms were around the little mage, his head resting atop hers. Nino took one of his hands and linked her fingers with his, then smiled up at him. Wil could've sworn he saw the assassin smile back.

There were a number of people he didn't see anywhere, including Legault and Heath, and Raven and Lucius, though that wasn't really surprising. Anyone could guess what they were doing to 'celebrate.' Wil grinned wickedly.

It seemed as though any tensions between the camp members had melted away, at least for the night. Dart and Farina, who were usually arguing about money, or treasure, or something of the sort, had their arms around each other's shoulders, and were loudly singing the "99 bottles of beer on the wall" song, and rather off-key. But they could barely get past 90 before one of them made a mistake and they burst into drunken laughter, then started their slurred song over again.

Guy and Matthew were getting along quite well too, which, Wil thought, was the understatement of the century. Matthew's lips looked they were surgically attached to the squeaking myrmidon's neck. His arm was slung over Guy's shoulders, with a beer in that hand, and the other buried in Guy's loosed hair. Guy was stuttering incoherent protests, or was trying to, between the moans he accidentally let out, which made him blush even more than he already was.

Karla was sitting with Bartre, chuckling as he tried to impress her by slurring out 'big words' that Canas had taught him. Everytime the alluring swordmaster gave him a smile, he'd take another large swig of his ale.

Next he saw Lowen and Rebecca, busily making what looked like a feast fit for a lord; or rather, three lords and their entire army. Lowen said something to the young archer, and she smiled, then leaned over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Immediately, the cavalier's face flushed red, causing Rebecca to laugh. Wil caught her eye and waved happily. Rebecca returned the wave enthusiastically, and Lowen smiled. He'd loosened up a lot since he'd gotten together with Rebecca. Wil was happy for them, and nobody had any idea how relieved he'd been when he found out he wasn't the one Rebecca had fallen for. It's not that he didn't like her. He just didn't like her that way.

In fact, he didn't like any "hers" in that way at all. Which made Wil start to wonder, where exactly was…

"Wil!" The archer whirled at the sound of his name to see the ex-general Wallace lumbering towards him.

"Um, hello, sir!" Wil greeted uncertainly, now that his mind was elsewhere. "Is there something I can help you with or… something? Because I just remembered something I really need to do, and if you could ask someone else it'd be great, but if you really need my help and I'm the only person that could help you, then I guess—"

"For Elimine's sake, boy, stop talking for two seconds!" Wallace cried. "I just wanted to know which way the ale is! I've been walking around these tents for the past hour trying to find some more!"

"Oh!" Wil exclaimed cheerily, and pointed in a direction. "It's, um, that way. Yeah, past the reeeeally bad singing, next to Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector! Or at least it was the last time I went over that way, and I don't know how long it's been since I was over there, but it should be in that direction, and if it's not then I'm sorry!"

Wil had to yell the last part of his 'directions,' because Wallace had turned to leave in the middle of it.

Now Wil's mind wandered back to before he'd been interrupted. He thought of places he might find the man that occupied his thoughts, and the first place that came to mind was with the horses.

Wil happily made his way towards the resident beasts of the army, bouncing along to the music that echoed throughout the camp, taking note of the people spending time alone on this joyous occasion. He spotted Karel, who was sitting with his back to a tree, looking deep in thought. Wil shuddered to think at what was going through his mind. He also saw Dorcas, who he'd noticed looked depressed almost 100 of the time, probably because he'd spent so much time away from his wife.

After a short walk, Wil reached the 'stable,' which really wasn't really a stable, just the place where the horses, pegasi and wyverns were kept. Vaida was there attending to Umbriel, and even though she was one of the scariest people Wil had ever met, he still made the effort to ask. That is, made the effort, but the moment he opened his mouth, she gave him glare that said, "If you say even one word to me, I'll lop your head off."

Wil promptly closed his mouth.

He looked around to see all the animals were there. By this time, he could easily name off every beast kept there. The fact that he was nosy enough to go up to everyone and ask their names had nothing to do with it. Really. He looked up and down the line of horses, and nodded when he saw the grey mare.

"He couldn't have gone far…" he mumbled to himself. He was about to set off again when Fiora spotted him and ran over to him.

"Wil, have you seen Sir Kent?" she asked.

Wil bobbed his head up and down. "Yep, I saw him and Sain earlier! Except that Sain was chasing Florina and then Kent caught him and started scolding but Sain was drunk so he kissed Kent on the lips, can you believe it! I started laughing so hard when I saw it, the look on Kent's face was priceless."

Fiora's eyes got wider at each word of Wil's tale. She turned on her heel and stomped back towards the fires, yelling Sain's name. Wil snickered; already, tonight was the most fun he'd had in a while!

But, back to business. Where could he be? Wil crossed his arms and stared at the ground intensely, as if the answer he sought would pop out of the earth and smack him in the face. That didn't exactly happen, but he did get an idea.

"Mark!" he declared cheerily. "He always knows where everyone is!"

Wil made his way back to the fires and all his drunken comrades, and saw Fiora trying desperately to pulling Sain off of Kent, both of them yelling at him. Sain was laughing like an idiot.

Wil ducked into Mark's tent and looked first towards the bed to make sure the tactician wasn't sleeping. The bed was empty; so was the entire tent for that matter. He saw a piece of paper lying next to the stack of books that could rival even Canas', and picked it up to read it. He squinted at it in the darkness, then turned towards the opening of the tent so he could read it by firelight.

_Gone for a walk. Be back before morning._

Wil raised a brow. It wasn't like Mark to take walks. Half the time he was lucky to even see the tactician off the battle field; he was always in his tent writing or reading or, on rare occasions, sleeping. But maybe he decided he needed some fresh air or something, Wil decided, so he opened the tent flap and left.

He was greeted with the scene of Sain, who this time was kissing Fiora, and Kent was trying to pry him off of her. Wil laughed under his breath. He couldn't wait to see what would breakfast would be like tomorrow morning.

"Are you looking for Mark, Wil?" Lyn asked, who was sitting nearby with a giggling Florina at her side, both of them enjoying the theatrics.

Wil shook his head. "Nope, I was just gonna ask him if he knew where someone was."

Lyn grinned at him. "I bet I can guess who that someone is."

Wil's felt his face turn red. "A-Am I really that obvious?"

Lyn and Florina nodded in unison. Wil's face turned even redder.

"Well… have you seen him, by any chance?"

"I saw him leave camp a little while ago. He was headed towards the hills to the south," Lyn directed him.

"Oh! Thanks a lot, Lyn! I mean, Lady Lyndis! Sorry I keep forgetting to use your full name, it's just a force of ha—"

Lyn laughed. "Just go, Wil!"

"Oh, right! Thanks again! And um, let me know how the… uh…" Wil looked back at the still-squabbling knights, "skirmish ends up, okay?"

Lyn gave him a thumbs up, and Wil chuckled as he left, heading towards the hilly landscape south of their camp. He noticed Lord Pent and Lady Louise dancing – she really wasn't kidding when she said she didn't excel in the arts – and Marcus, Oswin and Merlinus sitting outside of the supply tent, laughing. As he reached the outskirts of the camp, he saw Isadora and Harken talking quietly. They stopped when they saw him, and he bowed politely before skittering off as fast as he could, feeling like he was imposing on their privacy. Curse Kent and his courtesy lessons.

Wil looked at the rolling hills in front of him, beautiful in the silver moonlight. He climbed the nearest one, figuring it was the only way he'd spot anyone, even in the bright moonlight. Sure enough, he saw a lone figure seated not too far off. He could tell just by the silhouette that it was the man he was looking for.

But now that he'd finally found him… could he actually talk to him?

It's not like they were strangers. They were actually quite close friends – or at least, he thought so. They'd known each other longer than a lot of people that were in the army. They'd even been tent mates for a good portion of their journey. But maybe that was part of the reason he had suddenly lost his nerve.

Wil bit his lip. He had been such an idiot the other night…

* * *

_This was it. Tomorrow would be the battle with Nergal. Tension had been running thick throughout the entire camp all day, and now, even after the sun had set and everyone had gone to bed, Wil found he couldn't sleep._

_There was something plaguing his mind, something he needed desperately to get out. He stared at the back of his tent mate, mentally debating whether or not he should tell him. Either one of them could die tomorrow. It was a miracle they'd even made it this far. But still… he didn't think he could stand it if something happened to either one of them, and he hadn't told him…_

_Wil sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. He was so nervous; his hands were cold and clammy, and he felt like he was quivering. He didn't think this would be so hard._

"_Hey, um… Rath? Are you awake?" Wil whispered, surprised his voice didn't shake._

_Wil tensed as Rath stirred and turned over so he was facing the younger archer. His bandana had been cast off with his battle gear before he'd gone to bed for the night, and Wil counted himself lucky to be one of the few who got to see him without it on. His hair was messy – it actually looked messy by nature, which would explain why Rath rarely ever took it off – and he looked tired and stressed out like everyone else, maybe even slightly annoyed, but he managed to keep his usual low, calm voice._

"_Wil, you should be resting," he said, softly. "Tomorrow is… very important."_

"_Um, yeah, I know… But I've got something that I really need to tell you. I mean, it's sort of been bugging me for a while, and I've been meaning to tell you, but whenever I got the chance I would chicken out or loose my nerve… And, well, tomorrow is like… the end of it all, you know? And there's just something that I… um… I really want you to know…"_

_Rath blinked slowly across from him. "What is it?" he asked, his voice even and patient._

"_Well, I, uh… I don't know if you'll be creeped out by this or something, or if you'll even care, and I really hope this doesn't hurt our friendship or anything, but I wanted to tell you that I… um…" Wil gripped his pillow tightly as he forced himself to look into Rath's forest green eyes, staring back at him, awaiting what he had to say. _

_This was it. Wil took a deep breath._

"_Rath," he said, firmly. "I love you."_

_The nomad stared at him for a long time, their eyes locked; it was impossible to look anywhere else. Butterflies fluttered in Wil's stomach as he clenched his pillow tighter, waiting for Rath's response. He couldn't spot any emotion in his friend's eyes; he didn't see any kind of reaction at all, in fact._

_After what felt like an eternity, Rath tore his gaze away and turned over._

_All he said was, "Good night, Wil."_

* * *

Wil bit his lip as the memory flooded his mind. He almost felt like crying, but shook his head; crying would solve nothing. 

"I'm such an idiot…" Wil scolded, laughing a little in an attempt to cheer himself.

But what had made matters worse was that the next morning, Rath had acted as if nothing happened. He talked to Wil as he always had, and they ate breakfast together, as usual. Even during the battle, they fought side by side, protecting each other…

* * *

_Wil plucked another arrow from his quiver and notched it, aiming at morph in the distance._

Stop moving, _he thought desperately, as he tried to keep up with its movements. He squinted his eyes, trying to be as accurate as possible; his arrows were limited since there was no place to restock. He let loose his arrow and watched it fly true, striking the morph in the chest, and it fell to the ground._

_Wil would've jumped up and down and cheered for his lesser victory, had he not heard the voice calling behind him._

"_Wil! Behind you!"_

_Wil whirled around, only to be struck on his unprotected shoulder by a sharp, unforgiving blade. He cried out in pain and stumbled back, helpless with his arm injured and at such close range, and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the second, and no doubt fatal strike._

_Instead he heard the clash of metal._

_Wil looked up just in time to see Rath, locking blades with the morph from atop his horse. There was a brief struggle in might, but with a great heave, Rath pushed the morph back, causing it to falter momentarily. But that one moment was all he needed; the nomad slashed through the puppet with a fierce intensity that nearly cut its body in half._

_Wil watched him sheath his sword, stunned at the ferocity his usually calm, collected friend. By the time he'd regained his senses enough to say something, he found himself being pulled onto Rath's horse, and seated in front of the Sacaen._

_Rath urged the horse away from the battle front, rummaging in the saddle bags at as quick a pace as he could. Wil was beginning to feel dizzy from loss of blood, and felt himself beginning to go lax. He felt an arm snake around his waist to keep him from falling off, and then, calloused fingers gently rubbing salve on his shoulder wound. Wil groaned at the mix between the pain of his wound and the pleasure of the warm touch. He leaned back against the comforting heat of the nomad's chest, until he realized what he was doing._

"_Rath! I'm so sorry!" he apologized, snapping out of his daze and sitting up straight. "I just felt dizzy and I couldn't help it, I was about to fall off, and then you—"_

"_It's fine," Rath responded, as he removed his hand from Wil's shoulder. "How does it feel?"_

"_It… It feels a lot better!" Wil exclaimed, realizing now that it did. "Thanks a lot Rath, I don't know what I'd do without you. Well, actually, I probably wouldn't do anything, I'd probably be dead!" He laughed nervously._

"… _Can you fight?"_

"_What? Uh… Yeah! I think so. Unless my arm starts acting up. Then I might have some problems…"_

"_Stay close to me," Rath said. He stopped and thought for a moment, then corrected himself, "No. Stay with me. You can fight from horseback now."_

_Wil looked up at him in surprise. "Are you… are you sure? I'm not that good at shooting from horseback yet, and I might fall off… And you won't be able to move as fast, and I'll probably just get in the way…"_

"_I'm sure," Rath said firmly. "I don't want to lose you."_

_It was then Wil realized Rath's arm was still around his waist._

* * *

Wil ran a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration. Had he not told Rath how he felt, that incident would've made him practically burst with joy. He probably would've skipped up to Nergal and danced around in circles with him, he would've been so happy. But he _had_ told Rath. And Rath stilljust saw him as a friend, didn't he? 

Didn't he?

Rath certainly wasn't the type to lead him on. And technically, he hadn't _said_ he didn't feel the same way…

"Alright!" Wil whispered to himself, a sudden determination building up within him. "I'll go talk to him…"

The young archer began the descent down his hill, and the climb up the next, tripping over loose rocks and cracking stray twigs on his way. The noise caught the attention of the nomad, and he turned to watch the stumbling Wil climb up towards him with calm, even gaze.

"Hey, Rath!" Wil called, forcing a smile. Rath nodded his head in acknowledgement and held his hand out to offer his friend a seat. Wil plopped down next to him as Rath took a swig of his drink – ale, no doubt, considering that was virtually the only thing available on this night.

"So… we won," Wil stated, stupidly. He grinned at Rath, earning a small trace of a smile and a nod of the head.

"I can't believe it's all over though, you know?" Wil continued. "We've been traveling for so long, and now, once we get to back to the mainland, we'll all be going our separate ways and we might never see each other again! It's kind of sad once you think about it… I really should go home to Pherae and see my parents, but I'll probably just end up going back to Caelin…" Rath offered his bottle to Wil, who took it with a smile. "Where do you think you'll go?" he asked, and took a drink.

"… I am going to Caelin as well."

Wil spit his ale out, mid-drink.

"You are!" Wil beamed. "That's so great! That was like, the last place I expected you to go after this! I can't believe it. Are you going to enlist in the army? That'd make us unstoppable if you were. I wouldn't doubt you'd be made captain of the archery division just by showing up!"

"I won't be staying there."

"What? Then why are you going?"

"You know of Lyn's plans to relinquish Caelin's rule to Ostia, correct?" Rath asked.

Wil nodded his head.

"Lyn wishes to return to Sacae once that is done. I am going there as well, so I offered to travel with her."

"Oh… So… you're going alone with Lyn – I mean, Lady Lyndis…" Wil trailed off, his voice heavy. Did that mean that… Maybe… Maybe she and Rath were…

"Not alone," Rath said. "A number of others will be going with us."

"Really?" Wil asked, perking up. He took another sip from the bottle. "Who else is gonna go?"

"Guy, Florina, Heath and Legault," Rath told him.

Wil made a sour face that he hoped Rath didn't see. He and Guy hadn't been on the best of terms when Wil overheard him tell Serra – more like confess to her, since conversations with Serra often ended up like an interrogation – that he had a crush on Rath. It was obvious, once Wil looked back on it; the way Guy talked to him or about him, always smiling when around him, declaring he'd protect his fellow tribesman… Wil had to admit he felt a little jealous about that. Rath and Guy were both Sacaen, and from the same tribe, no less. They had something in common that Wil just couldn't have. He'd never be a Sacaen. Maybe that's why he almost wanted to rub it in Guy's face when Rath agreed to give him horseback riding lessons.

Of course, considering the condition Wil last saw the young swordsman in, he wasn't so sure that Guy would be a 'threat' anymore. But if he wasn't going to Ostia with Matthew, maybe it was just a one-night thing…

"Rath, do you like Guy?" Wil asked, impulse taking over. He immediately regretted asking.

"… What do you mean?" the nomad questioned, carefully.

"You know what I mean! Like, like like. More than a friend… Better than a buddy…" Wil felt as if he was about Nino's age after he said that.

"… No."

"Oh… well… um, is there anyone that you do like?" Wil asked, shyly. "I've got ties with Serra, and she knows just about everything that happens around here – I swear, she can read minds – and I bet I could hook you up, at least for one night..."

Rath was silent. He stared up at the clear, starry sky above him, and inhaled the crisp, cool air before letting it out in a long sigh. Wil noticed how much prettier the stars looked when reflected in those emerald eyes.

"Aye," he replied, finally. "There is."

"Weeeell?" Wil said, expectantly. Rath turned and stared into his eyes, his gaze piercing. Wil blinked in surprised.

"Wil," he started. "About the other night…"

"Ack!" Wil spat out. "Please, forget about that completely! It was so stupid of me to say that, and I'm really really sorry, I probably made you feel really uncomfortable, and I've been meaning to apologize, I just haven't had the time until now. Well, actually I have, but I haven't really had the guts to until now, and I—"

Rath inwardly sighed. He figured there was only one way to shut him up now.

Wil was cut off when the distance between them was suddenly closed, and lips were planted firmly onto his mouth.

Rath had…he had… _kissed_ him!

He pulled away a second later, but Wil was left staring at him, dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open. A long silence ensued, the archer staring incredulously at the expressionless nomad.

"R… R…Rath!" he cried out, not able to say much else. Rath let out a soft laugh at the response.

"… I… wanted to tell you," he said, hesitantly. He shook his head. "But… It would've hurt too much to have told you, to have had you, and then to have lost you."

Wil was still staring, his mouth was still agape.

"… After you told me how you felt…" Rath continued, feeling a little awkward at the other's stare, "… I promised myself we would both live, so I could tell you I felt the same."

Wil continued to stare, until his face broke into a smile, and he pounced on the older man, knocking him backward onto the ground. He buried his face in the crook of Rath's neck, reveling in the warmth of their touching skin. Rath laughed as he slid an arm around the younger archer, and ran his fingers through auburn hair with his other hand. Wil sighed blissfully.

"You have no idea how many times I've dreamed of this!" Wil exclaimed, practically squealing. "This is too good to be true… I mean, I don't think I've ever wanted anything more than this! Well, maybe I have, but not in a while, and you're really important to me and I just…" Wil sighed again, dreamily. "… I just love you."

Rath smiled and kissed the other's forehead.

"I love you too."

* * *

A/N: Sappy start, eh? Sorry it was kind of choppy and incoherent. I'm still quite new to this. I have a tendency to ramble on the semi-unimportant parts, and then skid over the kinda-important parts, if that made any sense at all. Um… reviews are appreciated; let me know what I'm doing right or wrong. I'm kind of slow with updates, but if anyone actually enjoyed this, I could try and speed it along. And once again, thank you for wasting your time. 

Random: Am I the only one that squeals whenever Rath says 'aye'?


	2. Chapter 2: Badon

A/N: Hooray, I'm updating! Sorry it took me so long, I kind of ran into a brick wall, or something. Um. Thank you thank you to those of you that reviewed, that definitely made me jump up and down and squeal, and a thank you to those of you who just plain read it. You are all bad for my ego. I'm kind of surprised I'm actually sitting here writing this, since my mom decided to randomly give me Path of Radiance. That made me squeal doubly. (If only there were nomads in it…) Anyways, I really hope you guys continue to like this fic and don't start throwing rotten tomatoes at me halfway through. :D Thank you all again!

Also, I have a really bad memory. Did they hitch a ride with the pirates to get to Valor the second time around? Or no? Well… if they didn't, then use your imagination! They did now.

Oh, and Citrus, thank you for offering to beta… But I'm way too impatient to wait to post this :D; I appreciate it, though!

Fire Emblem is disclaimed. Okay? Okay.

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Home  
**Chapter 2: Badon

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Wil awoke the next morning to hear a voice shouting orders outside of his tent. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the noise, but it was undoubtedly Serra's voice. Mark had employed her long ago to get everyone moving in the morning, with a promise that the sooner they were ready, the sooner she'd be quiet. She was the perfect candidate too – she never got absolutely trashed at celebrations, she was always up early, and, of course, she was loud. It was a very effective plan.

_Sometimes that tactician is too smart for his own good_, Wil thought to himself.

Wil actually loved mornings, and was one of the few 'morning people' out of all of his traveling companions. He didn't have a hangover like, no doubt, everyone else in the camp, judging by the groans of protest he could hear in addition to the shouts of the rather loud cleric. In fact, he wouldn't have minded getting up and helping everyone out like he usually did. But this morning, something kept him in his tent, laying on his bedroll.

Chances are, it was the messy-haired nomad sleeping next to him with his arms around him.

Wil bit his lip to keep from squealing with joy at the sight in front of him. Rath's eyes were closed, and his breaths came slowly and evenly. He looked so peaceful. So content. It was quite a contrast from the usual, as there was always some kind of harshness about Rath that Wil never really understood; that is, until Lyn had told him about his past.

It was hard enough for him to leave home at twelve by choice, but to be _exiled_ at the age of _four_… Well, it really wasn't surprising that Rath acted the way he did. In fact, it was a wonder that Rath was as strong a person as he was. It was admirable, and yet, still… it was so sad. Why would he want to go back there? What could possibly be there for him?

_Family_, he told himself. _Acceptance._

He frowned. When he thought of it that way, it hit pretty close to home. He was worried what his family would think of him when he returned, so Rath's feelings must've been the same… but multiplied tenfold.

Wil snuggled closer to the nomad, wanting to comfort him and his silent fears. This caused the elder man to stir, and he turned to the younger as he opened his eyes.

"Good morning!" Wil chirped, immediately forgetting any and all unpleasant thoughts he'd had just a moment before. A ghost of a smile appeared on Rath's lips as he gently traced his calloused fingers along the frame of Wil's face.

"It is," he said.

Wil grinned and wrapped his arms around the other's neck impulsively, pulling him down on top of him. Their lips were only moments apart when…

"GET A MOVE ON, YOU GUYS! The faster you go, the more I get paid!"

Rath visibly winced at the sound of the voice. Wil sighed.

"We must really have to get going if both Serra and Farina are yelling at people," Wil said. "I mean, usually there's just Serra, and that can be bad enough, and I'm kind of surprised Farina can even yell since last night she was so drunk she was singing pirate songs with Dart! But then again, she does like money a whole lot, so if she was getting paid then—"

Rath planted his lips on Wil's mouth. Wil was effectively shut up.

The kiss was broken only moments later, but it left Wil grinning like a madman.

"You know, you should do that more often," he said.

"… I plan to."

The two quickly got to work, packing up their things and sharing a quick kiss or five in between, trying terribly hard to ignore the shouts of orders and groans of protest from outside. By the time they'd finished packing and decided to eat breakfast before taking down their tent, they heard Guy's voice outside their tent.

"M-Matthew! C.. Come back here!"

Wil poked his head of the tent and looked around, only to spot Guy running, staggering a little, towards Matthew, who had stopped and was staring at the myrmidon with an eyebrow cocked.

"You called?" he asked, smoothly.

Guy slowed to a walk as he approached the thief, and lowered his head, trying not to look at the man in front of him. His face was burning red and his hands were trembling as he held a piece of parchment out in front of him.

"T-Take it back!" he managed to get out. Wil realized it was the famed oathpaper.

Matthew grinned predatorily. "Does this mean you like being in my debt?"

Guy flushed a deeper shade of red. "O-of c-course not!" he stammered. "I-I just… I… I w-want to earn it back o-on my own! I… I don't n-need your pity…"

Matthew smirked. "But you have earned it. You never gave up on getting it back this entire time."

"B-But I never won!" Guy protested. "I-it's… still yours!"

The thief opened his mouth to make another argument, but the swordsman threw the ratty paper down at his feet.

"Just take it!" he yelled, and ran off. Matthew stared after him with a mixture of confusion and disbelief showing in his features. After a while, he shrugged, bent down and picked up the piece of paper. After staring at it a moment, he tucked it into one of the many pockets inside his cape and strode off.

Wil cocked his head at the scene, and when he went to turn around, he saw Rath, staring just as intensely as he was.

"Wah!" Wil cried out. "You scared me! Were you watching the whole time?" A curt nod from the other. "What was that about, do you think? I mean, you saw those two last night, right? I don't think Matthew was drunk then, since he doesn't have a hangover or anything. Guy was really flustered, too!"

"… He wants a reason to see Matthew again," Rath said simply.

Wil cocked his head. "Do you really think so?"

The nomad nodded, and the archer smiled at him. "You really pay close attention, don't you? I bet you know a lot more than even Serra does about everyone here!"

"Who knows more than I do?" Speak of the devil.

Wil whirled around, and saw the pink-haired cleric standing in front of their tent with her arms crossed, and her delicate foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

"Oh! Um, good morning, Serra! It's so nice out today, don't you th—"

"Don't even try to change the topic, Wil! You've been goofing off all morning, I haven't seen you anywhere!" Her gaze shifted to the man next to him. "The same with you! What in the name of St Elimine have you two been doing, putting your arrows into each other's quivers?"

Wil flushed beat red at the innuendo. "S-Serra! I can't believe you just said that!"

The cleric grinned devilishly. "Oh, don't think I didn't see you two stumble into camp last night! You looked a little more cozy than usual, and that's saying something!"

"But we didn't do anything! Not like that!"

Serra rolled her eyes. "Okay, sure, Wil. I believe you." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Wil blushed even more and stole a glance at Rath. No expression. Either he didn't quite catch what Serra was implying, or her taunts weren't fazing him. Most likely the latter.

"Well, anyways," Serra continued on, tossing her hair back behind her shoulder. "Mark wants us out of here by noon, so you'd better get packing."

"Why so early?" Wil questioned, regaining his composure. "Don't you think we deserve some rest after that battle?" Serra shrugged.

"Well, I certainly do. I wanted to spend more time with Erky today!" she pouted, looking like a little child when she did so. "But, you know, tactician's orders. He did promise us all luxurious rooms at the inn at Badon, I think that's the only reason anyone's even moving. Now, if you excuse me, I see slackers that I must attend to."

With that, Serra pushed past Wil, shouting the same type of accusations at Legault and Heath, who had just emerged from their tent.

"Uhhh…" Wil turned and looked up at Rath, who stared back with his even gaze. "Do you think we should just take down the tent and eat while we ride? Because it's almost noon and if we really are gonna leave that soon then I really don't want to hold everyone up…"

Rath nodded.

Taking down tents was easier than putting them up for Wil, at least. Often times when he had to put them up, he'd end up practically strangling himself, or having the tent fall in on itself, usually with him inside. Rath had gotten into the habit of waiting until that happened to fix it, and then put his things inside. It didn't matter who you were, watching Wil try to pitch a tent was, to say the least, amusing.

The rest of the time at camp was spent fairly quietly, for the sake of the headaches that ailed most of the tired troops, though the march to Fargus' ship was a little too swift for most. Even Mark and the lords, who had ordered their leave, didn't look so well themselves. The tactician had groggily explained that Fargus wouldn't wait any longer for them, so despite their exhausted state, they had no choice but to head out.

By the time the pirate ship was within their sights, the sun was setting in the sky. Cheers were heard from the men aboard when they saw the army staggering towards them, and already more beer was being brought out in celebration. Everyone dragged themselves on board, most of them smiling wearily at the cheers from the crew before going below decks, throwing their things aside and falling asleep on the swinging hammocks or the hard, wooden beds built into the ship's walls.

Dart stayed to drink to celebration with his crewmates.

"Well, Dart, m'boy, ya came back alive!" Fargus congratulated, with a hardy smack on the back. Dart nearly spit out his beer.

"Just like you told me, cap'n," Dart answered, a drunken grin plastered upon his face. He then felt a light tapping on his shoulder, and lazily turned his head to the other side, only to see a certain navy-blue haired Pegasus Knight with her hands on her hips, and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Well?" Farina said, expectantly. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Wha?" Dart ask, clearly confused. Chances he would've been just as confused were he sober.

Farina rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Well, if I'm going to be a pirate, I should know the captain at the very least!"

Dart and Fargus stared at her incredulously.

"You? A pirate?" Fargus asked, staring her up and down.

"Oh, come on!" Farina sighed. "Pirates make tons of money! And unless I find another rich guy as dense as Hector, I'll never have the kind of cash I deserve!" She turned to the older man. "Captain Fargus, I presume?" she asked the captain.

"And if ye be correct?"

"I'm Farina, a Pegasus Knight, or ex-pegasus knight now, since I'm joining you guys now. Listen, I want at least fifty percent of whatever spoils we get on a raid! And that's only on my bad days, when I do really good, I'm talking like, ninety percent. You hear, old man?"

Fargus laughed heartily. "I like your style, lass! But… we'll talk about payment later, eh?"

She shrugged and plopped herself down next to Dart, took a swig of his beer, then wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. She had a very pleased smile on her face.

"Sure you won't get sea sick?" Dart asked, his speech slightly slurred. Farina waved a hand nonchalantly.

"Wind at air, waves at sea, makes no difference to me," she said, then yelled at one of the crew to get her a beer. Dart started to snicker.

"What's so funny?"

"… That rhymed!" With that, he burst into drunken laughter. After a moment, Farina did as well.

Meanwhile, below decks, Guy was laying half asleep in a swinging hammock, staring at a certain couple sleeping not too far away. Rath was laying on one of the makeshift beds – probably because it'd be a little hard to fit two people in a hammock – his arms loosely wrapped around the younger man who was using the nomad's chest as a pillow. Wil had a happy, contented smile plastered on his face even whilst he slept.

_Of course_, Guy thought, bitterly, _I bet I would smile in my sleep if I was in his position._

It was so obvious, so terribly obvious how those two felt about each other, right from the moment Guy first saw them together. But that didn't stop him from falling for his fellow tribesman. In fact, he was surprised that more people weren't swooning over Rath. Sure, he was quiet and kind of stand-offish, but he was smart, and swift, and strong, and cool and calm and not to mention, very, very handsome…

Wil stirred in his sleep and Rath automatically tightened his hold on him. Guy frowned.

He should've known it was hopeless. Whenever he talked to Rath, he always seemed distracted, always seemed like he didn't care what was being said to him. He probably didn't. But when it came to Wil, he couldn't look away. If someone held a sword at his throat and demanded he look away from the young archer, Rath probably wouldn't comply. And Wil could make him smile. He could make him _laugh_, even. All Rath would allow Guy to do is protect him. Not that he even needed protection anyways…

The young swordsman's gaze shifted to another, sleeping in a hammock nearby. The sandy-haired thief was snoring lightly, his hands folded atop his stomach with his cloak draped around him, acting as a blanket. He looked carefree and nonchalant as always. Guy flushed and looked away from him.

There was _no way_ Matthew knew what he was doing last night.

… Right?

Guy certainly hadn't expected that little 'ordeal' to happen. He didn't even want it to happen. In fact, he had been searching for Rath when Matthew stumbled across him, grinned, and attacked him. Except… Not in the way he usually attacked him. He had tried to protest against it, but he had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that it really wasn't that bad. Of course… he'd never tell Matthew that.

Well, Rath was absolutely out of the question at this point… But, now that he thought about it, Matthew really wasn't that bad. He was nice to look at, and he was always paying attention to Guy, even flirting. And he was pretty skilled too…

_With a blade!_ Guy mentally shouted at his wandering mind. His mind wandered more, causing his face to turn red.

The myrmidon sighed, too tired to think any more on the subject. He closed his eyes, and let the waves of the ocean gently rock him to sleep.

The voyage to the mainland took a couple of days, and by the time they reached Badon, many of them were thankful for solid land. Everyone was more or less rested after the trip, so the lords were nearly forced into ordering up a feast and almost all the rooms in the inn. By the time everyone had thrown their things in their rooms, the sun had set, yet more celebrations had sprung up. Hey, it's not everyday you kill a crazy guy threatening to loose dragons on the continent.

Lowen wasn't really concentrating on celebrating, though. Other things had occupied his mind for the past few days.

He stared across the room at the pigtailed archer, who was chatting happily with Wil and a few others. Wil reached over and tugged on one of her braids, causing her to squeal and yank on a lock of his hair. Wil responded by getting her in a headlock and giving her a noogie, sending everyone around them into hoots of laughter.

Lowen sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have Rebecca. She was beautiful and kind and he was just… plain. Dull. Ordinary. He couldn't even imagine what she saw in him. But he had her. Somehow, he did.

Now what?

That question had lingered on his mind for far too long. Everything was over, so now what? What would become of them? He was sure everyone was thinking that. Or some couples, like Farina and Dart, or Legault and Heath, had already figured it out.

It wasn't really much of a problem, not like some people had. They both lived in Pherae, so distance wouldn't hinder their relationship. But Lowen was afraid of something happening, nonetheless. Maybe things would change between them, or maybe one of them would have to leave for some reason.

Lowen didn't want anything like that to happen.

So slowly, almost reluctantly, he brought himself to his feet and started his way across the crowded room. All the noise and shouts and laughter seemed to fade as he drew closer to Rebecca. His breath came fast and he almost felt dizzy, he was so nervous. But he had to do this.

He had to.

"Rebecca?" the sound came from his mouth before he could realize it. The entire table quieted as green haired archer turned in her seat and looked up at him with innocent emerald eyes, then gave him a dazzling smile.

"Lowen! I was wondering where you were! Come on, sit down!" she said, motioning for him to take a seat next to her. Lowen shook his head slowly, and Rebecca looked up at him with a confused look upon her face.

"I came to… ask you something," he said, hesitantly.

"What is it?" she asked, curiously. She was looking at him with those large eyes, and he could tell everyone else around was watching him as well, and they were all anticipating what he had come for.

He took a deep breath. Now or never.

"Rebecca…" Lowen started, then dropped down onto one knee, taking her hand in his. "Will you… marry me?"

Everything seemed to stop, all sounds were silenced. Rebecca stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief.

"I… I… Lowen… I…" she stammered.

"I understand completely if you say no," Lowen told her, his eyes lowering to the floor. "But… I love you, Rebecca… I never want to be without you… And this way, I know I won't have to be…" He looked up at her meekly.

Her features lit up, and a smile spread across her face. She threw her arms around the shy cavalier and kissed him.

"Of course I will, Lowen!" she exclaimed. Cheers from the formerly silent table erupted, and everyone crowded around them, congratulating them.

"This is wonderful, Rebecca!" Nino piped up. "Jaffar and I are going to live in Pherae too! We can be neighbors and raise our children together! Ohhh, this is so exciting!" The young mage hugged her friend tightly. Rebecca laughed, and Lowen smiled. Nothing to worry him now…

Wil, however, was a different story, at this point.

He congratulated his childhood friend, and then slipped out of the mob of people, and out of the room where the party ensued. He sat down on the bottom of the steps that led to the second floor of the inn, and sighed.

Everyone knew what they were going to do, and where they were going to go. A lot of people were going home; to Pherae, to Ostia, to Caelin, to Ilia, to Sacae… Some people didn't even have a home, and they knew where they were going. But… where would he go? He'd been meaning to see his parents in Pherae… Then again, hadn't Caelin been the only home he'd known since he was he was twelve?

Or were either places his home?

What Lowen had said made Wil think.

"_I never want to be without you…"_

Rath had said he was going to stay in Caelin until everything was sorted out with Lyn, then they would leave for Sacae. Did he really plan on living Wil there? Just… leaving without him? What if they never saw each other again?

_That won't happen_, Wil told himself. _We'll always be together! … Won't we?_

He wasn't a Sacaen. He'd never fit in if he went there. There wasn't even any use in trying. And Rath… well, Rath would be okay in Caelin… but it was obvious he didn't want to stay there, or else he would. And Wil didn't have the heart to ask Rath to stay somewhere he wouldn't want to…

"Wil?"

The archer turned at the sound of his voice. It was Rath. He forced a smile.

"Hey, Rath!" he greeted, trying to sound cheery. "Did you hear about Rebecca and Lowen? They're getting married! Lowen proposed to her, and in front of a bunch of people, too! He's really gotten brave, don't you think? I wasn't really expecting them to get married, but if the thought ever crossed my mind, I would've thought that Rebecca would be the one to propose to him!"

Rath sat down next to Wil as the archer chattered on.

"Wow, there's going to be a lot of weddings in Pherae! Lowen and Rebecca are gonna get married… Nino and Jaffar… Harken and Isadora… Lord Eliwood probably will too pretty soon, though I don't know to who… It's too bad Ninian had to go back, don't you think? Lord Eliwood and her really hit it off…"

Rath nodded. The silence that ensued between them was a little uncomfortable for Wil. Rath was usually quiet, so it really wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Maybe it was all the things that Wil had on his mind…

"Wil."

The archer was almost startled by the sound of Rath's voice. "Uh…what is it?"

"Why aren't you in there with everyone else?" The nomad motioned towards the entrance of the party room with a nod of his head.

"Oh… Um, I don't know. I guess everything was just too loud and I was hanging out with Rebecca but now she's with Lowen and stuff, and I would go talk to Sir Kent but I've been sort of scared to go near him after what happened between him and Sain…" Wil tried very hard not to snicker at the last part.

Rath stared at Wil, his face unchanging.

"Something's bothering you," he said. It wasn't a question.

"What? No! I'm perfectly fine!" Wil protested, even though Rath was right. "What makes you think something's bothering me?"

Rath said nothing. He reached a hand out to lightly caress Wil's cheek, and the younger leaned into the touch. Rath slowly closed the distance between them, and placed a soft kiss on the other's lips. On contact, Wil pressed his mouth against Rath's and wrapped his arms around his neck. In response, Rath slid his arms around Wil's waist and pulled him onto his lap. The auburn haired archer tilted his head to the side and parted his lips, letting the nomad's tongue sweep through his mouth. Strong hands raked through Wil's hair, then trailed down his back and pulled him closer.

"_I never want to be without you…"_

Rath broke apart slowly, his eyes locking with Wil's. Without a word, he slid an arm under the younger man's knees and kept the other behind his back, and stood up, carrying Wil in his arms. Wil laid kisses all over Rath's neck and up to his chin, hanging onto his shoulders for extra support, as Rath carried him up the stairs and into their room.

But even as Rath laid him down on the bed and climbed on top of him, a single thought couldn't escape Wil's mind.

_This can never work. _

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A/N: ANGST :O I hope that wasn't too angsty at the end. I don't really like angst much. The next chapter will be happier. I swear. 

For the record! I do like/support Rath/Guy. I just like Rath/Wil and Matthew/Guy a lot better. :D And does ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE LIKE LOWEN/REBECCA? Am I the ONLY one? Come on you guys, Lowen is so adorable! He seriously needs a hug. Or something. And. NOOGIES :D

Sorry if anyone was OOC D: I tried.

Once more, reviews are muchly appreciated. And people who still like FE7 and write shounen ai fics about it are even more appreciated! Write, I beg of you :O Oh, and, um, can anybody tell me where Caelin is located in Lycia, like,in relationto Pherae or Ostia or some other place like that? Maybe? I forget… Like I said, bad memory. And sorry if this was choppy in any way, shape or form. Transitioning from place to place isn't one of my strong points.

Next chapter features… Kent and Sain, because even though they're not my favorite couple, someone will no doubt shoot me if I don't put them in here! Lyn and Florina! Because there has to be at least one shoujo ai couple and I think they're cute (even though I honestly like Kent/Lyn more)! Legault and Heath! Because everyone loves them and I haven't had them appear like at all yet! And of course… Rath and Wil :D And maybe more. I don't know.

Randomly: After writing this, I can suddenly picture Fargus on Cap'n Crunch cereal boxes. That would be so great.


	3. Chapter 3: Caelin

A/N: WRITER'S BLOCK LIKE WHOA.But finally! I'm so sorry it's taking me forever with these updates, and sorry if this chapter is lacking in quality, but I was just trying to get it done. But yes! Third chapter! Getting this far doesn't sound like much, but if you guys knew how much of a procrastinator I really am, then you would understand why I'm so excited/proud. Or maybe you do understand how much of a procrastinator I am because of how slow I am with updates?

Anyways, thank you thank you once again to my reviewers, and just a regular thank you to those of you who have endured my fic thus far :D I'm very glad that you guys like it, and I hope this chapter will be satisfactory. And again, forgive any typos or grammatical errors. I'm much too lazy to proofread this, and much too eager to post this to get a beta. Erm, enjoy!

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**Home  
****Chapter 3: Caelin**

* * *

Lyn sighed as she stirred her tea some more. There wasn't anything to stir into the tea, and it wasn't too hot to drink. It was merely something to do to try and pass the time. 

Why, oh, why had she said they'd start for Caelin this morning? She was exhausted, and there wasn't any rush to get there. She would've said she'd changed her mind, had Kent not been up since before dawn preparing everything. When she woke, Kent told her he had everything under control, and for her to just wait. Normally she would've protested and helped anyways, but she was just so _tired. _

Caelin wasn't far away, and once she arrived, she'd have to start on the arrangements to hand Caelin over to Ostia. Who knows how long that would take! Lyn was dreading going through with all of it. But after it was all over...

She sighed, dreamily. Sacae. The land of her birth. She would _finally_ get to see it again. Those endless rolling hills of the greenest grass, and that clear, azure sky… She missed it so very much; it made her heart ache just thinking about it.

She did feel a little guilty, though, leaving behind her responsibilities. And she had taken a liking to living in Castle Caelin, but… No matter how hard she tried, she would always be an outsider in that world. People would always think her a savage from the plains, even if she were the most polite and well-mannered person that ever lived.

Lyn sighed and lifted the teacup to her lips, taking a sip of her drink. The tea had an herbal smell to it, and a slightly spicy taste. It made her miss home even more.

"Lyn?" came a quiet voice. Lyn turned just in time to see Florina take a seat next to her at the table in the nearly-empty room. The shy Pegasus Knight gave her a small smile.

"How are you this morning?" she asked. Lyn managed a smile, which was interrupted by a yawn.

"Sleepy," Lyn replied. "How are you feeling?" She reached over and tucked a strand of Florina's hair out of her face, which made the lavender haired knight blush.

"I'm fine," Florina said. "I just finished packing. I want to find my sisters before we leave and say goodbye, though… Fiora said she's going back to Ilia, but not right away. And Farina is…" Florina hesitated, making an uncertain face at the wooden table top in front of her. Lyn gave a small laugh.

"She's going to be a pirate now, right? With Fargus?"

Florina nodded. "I… I'm not really surprised at it… She always has loved money. And Fargus seems like a good man… For a pirate captain, I mean… I'm just not sure what to think of it."

Lyn grinned. "Well, it seems like money isn't her only motive."

At that, Florina's face brightened a little, and she nodded. "Yes! I'm very happy that she and Dart are together… Truth be told, Fiora and I never really thought she would find someone." She giggled. "I think Fiora is a little jealous that she found someone before her."

The two girls snickered. Lyn was happy that Florina would be going back to Ilia. They would still be able to see each other often, and things would be like they had been, before any of this started, except with a few differences, of course. That was the way she wanted things to be.

There was a loud shout that came from outside.

"That sounded like Fargus," Lyn said. "You should go find Farina before they leave."

Florina nodded and stood, then hesitated a moment before bending down and giving her Sacaen friend a light peck on the cheek. Lyn turned and flashed her a smile, making Florina giggle and blush before leaving to find her sister.

Lyn laughed to herself. She and Florina had been keeping their 'real' relationship secret for quite a while now. It was common knowledge that they were close friends, but nobody knew just how 'close' they really were. She knew there was nothing to be ashamed of, but they had both decided to keep it a secret, nonetheless.

She took another sip of her tea, only to find it was now getting cold. No matter, it was just as good this way as it was hot. She sat a while, her mind drifting wherever it wanted, when she heard voices drifting in from the hallway.

"Mark, are you sure you won't accept?"

"I'm positive. I need a good deal more training before I can be appointed to such a high position."

"How can you say that? You just led this army to a victory against Nergal! The fate of the world depended on it! And we have had no fatalities or even major injuries throughout our entire journey!"

The two figures entered the large mess hall. Lyn saw it was their tactician, Mark, and Eliwood.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not ready to be Pherae's, or any other territory's lord tactician. I do thank you for the gracious offer, but I cannot accept it," Mark said.

Eliwood gave a small sigh. "Well, should you ever change your mind, my offer still stands."

"I thank you again, milord," Mark said with a small bow.

"No need for formalities, Mark! I, like everyone else, owe you my life. We would not have come this far without your genius," Eliwood told him, smiling kindly.

Mark gave a wry grin. "Flattery gets you no where."

The red-haired lord laughed and clapped the young tactician on the shoulder. Mark looked like he winced a little.

"I will miss you, Mark. Good luck to you," Eliwood said with a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have things I must attend to."

Mark nodded his head and watched Eliwood leave. When he was out of sight, the tactician gave a small sigh. Lyn caught his eye and waved him over to sit with her. He crossed the room and sat across the table from her.

"So, you've turned down the opportunity of a lifetime. What are you going to do now?" Lyn said sarcastically, giving her friend a smile.

Mark frowned. "Very funny, Lyn."

"No, honestly, what do you plan to do? Just wander like you did before?" Lyn asked. She was hoping he would say no; Mark had a tendency to overexert himself. He would always stay up late making battle plans, or taking notes on the happenings of their last skirmish, or reading. He had passed out from exhaustion more than once since she met him. In fact, that was even _how_ she met him.

"Actually, I plan on leaving for Etruria with Lord Pent and the others," Mark told her.

"Etruria? Why there?" she asked.

"There's something that I need to do that will require an extensive amount of research on magic. Well, I don't really have to do it, but I would like to try. It's doubtful I'll be able to achieve it," Mark said, looking mildly frustrated with himself.

"Do you plan on becoming a mage?" Lyn teased.

"No!" Mark exclaimed, as if it were the most absurd thing he'd ever heard. "Of course not! I've no aptitude for magic. I just need an understanding on how some things work."

Lyn smiled. "Well then, I wish you the best of luck with whatever it is you plan to do."

Mark raised a brow. "You're not going to prod me about what it is I'm doing?"

Lyn shook her head. "If you wanted me to know, you would've told me by now."

The tactician gave her a small smile. Lyn had known Mark the longest out of all of her comrades – aside from Florina, of course – and there had always been a mutual understanding between them. Lyn could tell just by the way the tactician acted that he wasn't the most social person in the world. He would always fidget and speak in disjointed sentences, with long periods of awkward silence in between whatever words he could manage to get out. The only time he didn't act like that was when he had a plan. But whenever it was just them, the words came easily, and Mark was much more relaxed.

"… And that's why Erky and I are going to have the best wedding EVER!"

Lyn saw Mark immediately tense. Yes, it was her. And she was coming their way, they could tell. The two looked at each other and immediately knew they wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

Not but a moment later, Serra entered the room, her arm linked with Rath's (because they were just _such_ good friends) and the cleric talking his ear off. The nomad looked quite miserable. He spotted Lyn and Mark from across the room, and mouthed the words, _"Help me."_

They tried hard not to laugh.

"Serra!" Lyn called, feeling sympathetic. She figured Rath had better things to do than have his ear talked off by the pink haired monster. And considering he was involved with Wil, Lyn wouldn't have been surprised if he had to put up with talk-attacks every day. She was sure he didn't need Serra to add to that.

"Oh, hi there, Lyn! Hi Mark!" she chirped, and made her way over to the table, dragging Rath with her. "Rath and I were just looking for Wil, and I was telling him about my wedding until we find him." She giggled.

"So, um…" Lyn looked across the table at her tactician friend. She was at a loss as to what to say to deviate Serra's attention from her fellow nomad. Mark, on the other hand, was a genius at coming up with things on the spot. He gave her a small, discreet smile. He knew exactly what she wanted him to do.

"Boasting about your wondrous wedding again, Serra?" he asked her, a sarcastic tone in his voice. "I'm pretty sure they won't be anything compared to some of the others I've heard about."

"That's ridiculous!" Serra retorted. "_My_ wedding will so be the best, and you know it!"

"I'm not so sure…" Mark trailed off, his gaze wandering from the fuming cleric. Lyn tried hard not to laugh. She'd seen Mark put on acts like this before, and they never ceased to amuse her.

"It will be!" Serra insisted. She sat down next to the tactician, effectively releasing her hold on Rath, and glared. "For starters, it's going to be in Lord Pent's_ castle._ Do you know how fabulous that place is? It's gorgeous! You'll see for yourself when you get there. Anyways…"

Serra continued ranting about her wedding to Mark, who was purposely looking bored and even yawning now and again to keep her going. He had successfully captured her attention, and she didn't even see Rath sneak out of the room.

The nomad only dared to let out a small sigh of relief when he could no longer hear Serra's voice. And, needless to say, that took quite a while. He found himself outside near the stable and he could hear voices talking quietly within. He stepped towards the stable, stopping near the doorway and listening only when he found one of those voices belonged to Wil.

"Kent... I mean… Really? Are you sure? It's an honor and all, but do you really think I'm up to it? I'm still not that good and I mess up a lot… And I don't think I'd be a very good teacher, and that kind of position requires teaching new recruits stuff, right? And I'm not much of a leader, so I don't think I could lead very well in battle, and I know it's not as important as your position, or your former position, but it would still matter a lot if I screwed up, right?"

"Wil, please. Slow down," Kent pleaded, a slight tone of irritation in his voice. "Are you saying you don't want to be commander of our archer division?"

"No! I mean, yes! I mean… wait," Wil spat out. He stopped and thought a moment. "Well, um, what I meant is that… I do want to be the commander! But I just don't know if I'll be really good, you know? But I'll get used to anything too difficult in time, I guess…"

"You don't have to accept this if you don't want to."

"I want to! Really!"

Kent gave a small laugh. "Don't sound so unsure of yourself, Wil," he said. "You're a very capable archer; I've seen how much you've improved since I first met you. You deserve this. I would not offer you this if I thought otherwise."

Wil beamed. "Thank you, Kent! That really means a lot coming from the commander of the knights of Caelin! I mean, former commander, I guess you're sort of my liege now, huh?"

"I'd… rather not think about that at the moment," the cavalier responded, sounding unsure. Wil opened his mouth to question it, but Kent cut him off. "I really must finish with the preparations now, Wil. I shall inform you when we are ready to leave."

The red-haired knight turned on his heel and left before Wil could conjure up a question. After a moment of staring after Kent and twisting his features into a variety of confused faces, Wil shrugged and turned back to Rath's mare, which he had been grooming before Kent had asked for a word with him.

Rath stood where he was for a moment and watched Wil. He watched the way he hummed to himself happily, the way he had an extra hop in his step, a broader smile on his face than he did before. Then he remembered the way Wil had acted the night before. Wil hadn't even woken him up that morning. There was something wrong. Rath knew it. And it had to do with him.

"Wil," he said, loud enough for the other to hear.

Wil stopped his humming immediately and snapped to attention. For a moment, he looked like a wild animal that was scared and cornered.

"Rath! Oh, um, hi! I was just brushing your horse… I figured she was a little dirty and stuff from all the traveling and she might like to feel… um… clean?" Wil stammered. He had a grin on his face that could fool anyone. Except Rath.

"… I heard you speaking with Kent," Rath said.

"Oh… Um… You did?" Wil asked, not knowing what the other's reaction would be. But Rath just gave him a soft smile, something he would only let Wil see.

"… Congratulations."

"You… You mean it? I mean… you think I really deserve it?"

Rath nodded.

Wil hesitated a moment, staring at the other, then made his way across the stable and threw his arms around him, impulsively. Rath returned the embrace, though he didn't know what the sudden outburst of affection was for. He had originally sought out Wil to ask him some questions about his strange-even-for-Wil behavior. But he had a feeling that now wasn't the time to ask such things…

He gently stroked Wil's hair, keeping his other arm around the younger man's shoulders in an attempt to comfort whatever was ailing him. Wil clung to him tightly, almost as if for dear life.

"Hey, Rath?" Wil said, the sound muffled because his face was still pressed against Rath's shoulder.

"… What is it?"

"I just… um… I really love you, you know!"

Rath smiled a little. "… I know."

* * *

Rain. Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain.

Kent let out an exasperated sigh for about the fifth time in the past hour. They had left Badon a week ago, and only a day after they left did it start raining. And it hadn't stopped since.

Travel had been tantalizingly slow, especially with this company. Or at least, it seemed slow to Kent. Everytime they made camp, no matter how wet and cold it was, Lyn and Florina would dance around in the rain, and Legault would tease Heath (often resulting in a lot of shouting), and Sain would chase around Guy, whose hair often came undone because of the rain, causing him to look rather feminine. And of course, it was just his luck to walk in on Wil and Rath during rather heated kissing sessions on what seemed to have become a regular basis.

After traveling for so long with the same people, Kent should have, by all means, been used to their antics. And in all truth, he had become accustomed to everyone's quirks. But every little thing that everyone did just made him more aggravated.

Kent wiped his hair away from his forehead, though it took the rain only seconds to plaster it over his brow again. He could hear Sain trying to sweet talk Lyn and Florina, but his fancy words were being drown out by the rain, so the only responses he ever got were "What!" or "I can't hear you!" which was quite distressing for the green cavalier.

Kent sighed in frustration again.

He had so much ahead of him. As if being the commander of the Caelin knights at such a young age wasn't stressful enough, Lyn had decided he was to become the steward for Caelin, so he would be taking her place while she was in Sacae. That is, if she ever came back.

His heart wrenched. Everytime he thought on her words, he couldn't help but feel as though she betrayed him in some way. He knew that she was his lady and liege, and he was just her knight, but he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, there was a little something more between them, something that went unsaid.

Or maybe Kent had just hoped for that. But either way, whatever he thought was there wasn't, and she was leaving him – and all of Caelin – for the plains of her birth.

His horse shook his mane a little, trying to rid himself of the water attached to each hair. Kent gently patted his neck, noting to himself that his horse was really the only one he could count on to always be there for him.

"Kent!"

The red-haired knight sighed yet again. "What is it, Sain?" he asked, irritation seeping through his voice like venom.

"Don't think you think we should stop and rest?"

"No, Sain. We stopped only a few hours ago."

"But it's raining!"

"It's _been_ raining! And we'll never get to Caelin at the rate we've been going! Can''t you just put up with it!" Kent fumed. He normally wasn't one to get so easily agitated, but his nerves were shot, and he had no patience for his fellow knight at the moment.

Sain looked at him with a mixture of surprise and shock on his features. Kent sighed.

"I apologize, Sain," he said, his calm demeanor regained. "I… have a lot on my mind."

"Well, if it's any consolation," Sain said, "you won't have to deal with me for much longer, my friend."

Kent raised a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

Sain grinned at his comrade. "I'm resigning as a Caelin knight."

Had Kent been walking, he would've stopped dead in his tracks, and everyone would've crashed into him, creating a domino effect of people falling over. But luckily, he was riding his horse.

"_What?_" he asked, incredulous. "Why!"

Sain shrugged, nonchalantly. "With Lady Lyndis and the lovely Florina gone, there won't be any beauty worth pursuing in Caelin!"

Kent glared at him.

"Sain," he said, trying to control the tone of his voice. "Surely that cannot be the real reason. You'd be promoted to commander of the Caelin knights if you stayed!"

"Too much responsibility," Sain replied. "Sub-commander was ideal, though. I was able to show off for all the ladies without having any of that."

"Even though you were supposed to…" Kent mumbled.

Sain laughed. "You worry enough for the both of us, _mother_. But either way, there's nothing left in Caelin for me now, so what reason do I have to stay?"

_What about me?_ Kent's mind yelled, though he wasn't quite sure why he had thought that. Sure, he and Sain were friends – quite good friends, at that – and they had been through a lot together, but that was no reason for Sain to feel an obligation to stay with him. They weren't _that_ close.

So then, why did he feel worse about Sain leaving than he did about Lyn?

The group reached Caelin less than a week later, and yet still, Sain was all Kent could think about. What would it be like with him gone? They'd been together for so long, it was hard to imagine. It was as if Sain had just always been there, cooking up some sort of mischief, and Kent had always been there, scolding him for it. He always thought it was a nuisance in the past, but now… Kent thought he just might miss it.

He hadn't seen Sain much since they arrived. Most of his time was spent with Lyn and all the advisors at Caelin, going over all that needed to be done in order to transfer Caelin's rule to Ostia, and for Kent to become steward in Lyn's stead. He found his mind wandering more than once to the green cavalier, and had to be discreetly – though not very lightly– kicked in the leg by Lyn.

And whenever he tried to sleep, he kept remembering the night of their victory. Sain – although completely drunk at the time – had kissed him. The memory never ceased to turn Kent's face red as his armor. Surely it hadn't meant anything. He had kissed Fiora as soon as she walked into sight.

Maybe that's what made him dwell the kiss so much. Fiora was a woman. Sain loved women. That was quite obvious. So why did he also kiss a man? Could he not tell in that state who Kent was? He couldn't have possibly mistaken him for someone of the opposite gender. Or so Kent hoped.

But after hours of arguing with himself in the dark, he would always fall asleep with that image in mind, and a small smile on his face.

* * *

Wil held his breath in hopes that the sound of the footsteps would fade. And soon. He hated hiding out like this, but he couldn't help it. He bit down on his lip. Were they getting closer? Or were his ears just playing tricks on him? But his fears were laid to rest when he heard – definitely, this time – the sound dim and die away.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

He knew Rath was looking for him. No doubt he wanted to talk to him, considering he was leaving tomorrow. And as much as Wil treasured the few words the nomad ever did say, he just couldn't bring himself to listen this time. But he knew Rath would find him eventually, and he'd have to listen to whatever he had to say anyways…

Wil peered around the room, making sure Rath didn't decide to hide under a table and then jump out at him (as unlikely as that may be), then he crept to the door, and looked both ways before stepping into the hall. He walked along the wall, trying to be as swift as possible, until he broke into a run.

_This is stupid!_ he told himself, though his mental reprimand didn't stop him from running. _I can't keep avoiding him… I mean, I'll have to talk to him eventually… He probably thinks I'm mad at him! Or even that I hate him! Or that…_

Wil's train of thought was interrupted when he collided face first with the hard, stone wall. He half-yelped, half-cried out a curse, and held his nose, which hurt quite a lot from the impact. He sat with his back against the wall, feeling vaguely like crying, and wondering what in the world he was doing.

"What was that noise?"

"I didn't hear a noise. Still paranoid about the Bern riders, my pet?"

"No, I'm not! And stop calling me that!"

"Whatever you say, darling."

Wil recognized the voices immediately; it was Heath and Legault. What they were doing in the hallway, however, he didn't _want_ to know. But at the moment, he didn't feel much like moving, and unless something completely and totally obscene was going on, he didn't plan on going anywhere for a while.

"Don't call me that either!"

Legault ignored this. "So then, Heath, precisely why did you drag me down that labyrinth of hallways and into this forsaken corridor? Did you have something… in mind?"

"N-no! Nothing like _that!_" Heath protested, frantically. Wil found himself trying hard not to snicker, as he could picture perfectly in his mind the leering grin that Legault was no doubt wearing on his face at that very moment.

"Then indulge me."

"I… Er… Legault… Are you sure about this?"

"'This' being what, exactly?"

"You know! About…going to Ilia," Heath said, his voice a little sheepish.

In response, the lavender haired thief let out a sigh. "Not this again. Listen, Heath. I'm coming with you. Whether you like it or not."

"No! I didn't mean that!" Silence from the thief. "What I meant was… Do you think _we_ should go to Ilia?"

"I don't see why not. Where else would we go?"

Heath sighed. "It's just that… A while ago, I spoke to Kent about joining the Caelin knights, and he really seemed for the idea. But then… well… we… you know…"

"Go on." Legault had a very pleased tone to his voice.

"Kent just seems so depressed lately. Haven't you noticed? I can't help but think that if I stayed here to help him, that he might feel better…"

Now that Wil thought about, Kent had seemed rather down-in-the-dumps lately. But what for…

"Heath, think about what you just said."

A silence.

"… What about it?"

"When was the last time you even spoke to Kent?"

"… Uh…"

"My point exactly," Legault replied. "I highly doubt that whatever has him acting this way is your decision to go to Ilia. It's not as if you and he are even close. In fact, I wonder if he even remembers this conversation you speak of."

"Well… I guess…"

Legault gave a short laugh, and Wil heard the sound of a stumble, along with disjointed stutters of protest from the wyvern rider. From the ruffling of fabric, he could only guess that Legault had pulled him into an embrace. Though knowing Legault, it wouldn't surprise Wil if he'd done something else, too…

"You… you just want to keep me all to yourself…" Heath mumbled, sounding embarrassed.

"Mmhmm," came the response. "And it's working quite well."

Wil couldn't help but smile a little. The two continued talking, but he wasn't listening anymore. Despite how perverted Legault could be, and how much Heath shouted at him, they really did have a wonderful relationship. He found himself wondering if he and Rath could ever have a relationship like that.

Then he wondered if he and Rath could ever really have a relationship at all…

Wil's thoughts were interrupted once more by the sound of a moan – the voice sounded suspiciously like Heath's – so he decided he'd sat there in the dark hallway for quite long enough.

He got up and quickly brushed himself off before his ears took in anymore unwanted sounds, and made his way down the hall in the opposite direction of the two 'lovebirds.'

Wil wandered aimlessly, not really caring or even paying attention to where he was going. He was no longer afraid of meeting up with his beloved nomad and having to explain that he'd been avoiding him because he afraid of losing him, as silly and childish as that seemed. In fact, Wil wanted to meet up with him. He would've been delighted to turn the next corner and see Rath, and run up to him and hug him, and tell him that he loved him, and other mushy things that would no doubt make Wil feel more like a ten year old girl.

But every turn was a disappointment; there was no Rath anywhere he went. _Just my luck,_ Wil thought, _now that I want him to find me, he's disappeared!_ Wil would've sought him out, but… Where to begin? Castle Caelin was quite large…

When all else failed, Wil made his way up to the roof; a place he often liked to go in the year he'd spent there. It was peaceful, and beautiful when the night sky was clear, like it was tonight. Wil had always been mesmerized by the stars, and he walked across the castle roof with his head lifted towards the sky, unable to tear away his gaze.

Which was fine, until he tripped and smashed his nose for the second time that day.

Wil sat up, rubbing his nose again, marveling that it wasn't broken or bleeding, and muttered another curse. Except this time, he got a response.

"H-hey! W-watch where you're going n-next time and m-maybe you won't trip again!" said the lump he had tripped over.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Guy!" Wil apologize, knowing immediately from the stutter who he was dealing with. "I don't know what I've been doing lately, my head's way up in the clouds and I've been tripping and smashing into things all day! I guess I've just had a lot on my mind, especially with all you guys leaving tomorrow and stuff…"

"Y-you mean… you're not coming with us?" Guy asked.

Wil stared at the young swordsman, curiously. "What do you mean, I'm not coming with you?"

"I… It's just… Aren't you and Rath… um… Together?" He seemed to have a hard time saying the last word.

"Well, yeah, I guess we are… Or were… I really don't know which anymore! I was actually kind of looking for him since I wanted to talk and, well, I found a Sacaen, just not the right one!" Wil laughed at his own joke. Guy didn't say anything.

"Erm… Anyways…" Wil said, clearing his throat. "I guess I just wanted to tell him that… I don't think it could work. I mean, I really want it to – I mean REALLY want it to – but, I mean… where would we go? I know Rath doesn't like living in Lycia, and Sacaens are kind of discriminated against… And I think I'd like it in Sacae, especially from what everyone's told me about it, but, I just wouldn't fit in there, you know? And Rath's heart is really set on going there, so I haven't had the heart to ask him if he'd stay here, because part of me really wants to stay here, especially since Kent said I could be the archer division commander which is a real huge honor for someone so inexperienced as me…"

"W-wait a minute," Guy interrupted. "Why… Why don't you think you'd fit in with Sacaens?"

"Huh?" Wil asked, blinking. "Why? Because… well, I'm not a Sacaen! I'm definitely not a nomad."

"You're more of a nomad than I am…" Guy said, hugging his knees to his chest.

Wil laughed. "No I'm not! I'm from Pherae!"

"Th-that's not what I mean," Guy responded. "I left Sacae because I… I didn't really fit in. I can't hunt… I can't shoot a bow… I can't even ride horses. I-I'm actually scared to death of them… But you… You can do all those things… A-and you're really good at them t-too… So… you'd probably fit in fine…"

"You really think so?" Wil exclaimed excitedly, startling the other. But Wil drew back and gave Guy a suspicious look. "Wait… Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? Don't you like Rath too?"

Guy's face visibly flushed red, even in the dim light from the moon and stars.

"N-no! I mean… I used to… Or maybe I s-still do.. But… th-there's sort of someone else now…"

"Matthew! Right?" Wil beamed. Guy looked like he just had a heartattack.

"Wh-what? M-m-m-m-matthew…!" he squeaked. Wil grinned.

"Ah-ha! So I _was_ right!" he declared, victoriously. Guy stared down at his feet, trying to hide his tomato-red face.

"W-well… Maybe… I-I don't know…"

"And it's so obvious he likes you too," Wil continued, grinning happily.

"Wh-what?" Guy squeaked. But Wil ignored this and instead grabbed Guy's hands.

"Thanks a lot, Guy! Wow, I never, ever thought you'd be the one to help me with my problem! I promise I'll do whatever I can to get you and Matthew together, but right now, I have to find Rath!"

Wil was gone by the time Guy fully realized what he had said. And it turned his face even redder.

* * *

Kent wasn't quite sure why he was up at some ungodly hour of the morning, dressed in his formal clothes, and paying a visit to the throne room. Soon to be _his_ throne room.

It hadn't really quite hit him until now that he was going to be responsible for all of Caelin. Everyone would depend on him in their time of need, and he would have no one, no one at all to support him.

It was official; everyone was leaving. Wil had come to him earlier that night and told him that he'd decided not accept the position of archery commander after all. Kent couldn't say this wasn't a surprise – it wasn't too hard to guess where Wil would be instead – but he felt all his hopes dissolve away when even the chatty archer decided to leave.

The carpet beneath his feet muffled the sound of his boots as he moved closer to the throne. This wasn't as much of a task as he was making it out to be, surely; after all, Caelin was just one small territory in Lycia, not an entire kingdom…

But regardless! In less than a day, he'd be completely alone. Everyone would be leaving, going off to Sacae, or Ilia, or wherever, and leave him there in Caelin.

Kent approached the throne slowly, and stared at it for a moment, before turning and seating himself upon. He looked around the empty room and felt his despair rise. He let his head fall into his hands.

"How am I going to do this…?" he muttered aloud. What he did not expect, however, was a response.

"With my help, of course!"

Kent's head snapped up and he found himself staring Sain in eyes.

"What…?" was the only thing Kent could manage to say.

"That's right," Sain confirmed. "You're going to rule Caelin with _my_ help. I suspect you'll be especially loved by the women because of it."

"Sain, what in the world are you talking about?"

"I changed my mind," Sain told him with a grin. "I'm staying here. Besides, you need a capable commander, right?"

"But…" Kent continued, dumbfounded. "… Why?"

"Why? Well… how can I put this in a way that even you'd understand?" Sain asked himself, trying to look thoughtful.

"What do you mean by—" Kent's question was cut off as lips pressed against his own. His eyes widened in disbelief as he realized – no, this wasn't a dream, and yes, this was really happening – that Sain was kissing him.

When Sain pulled away, Kent realized he'd moved so that he was sitting on his lap. But he was too busy gaping to do anything about it. Sain waved a hand in front of his face.

"Hello? Kent? Are you still alive?"

"Of course I am!" the red haired knight responded. "But… Sain… I thought you liked women…"

Sain mock-gasped. "You mean you're not a woman?"

"_Sain!_"

The green cavalier laughed. "I'm telling you this now, so don't ever think otherwise. You're the _only_ exception. Ever. Got it?"

Kent's body finally unfroze, and he wrapped his arms tightly around the other man.

"Hey! Kent! I have to breath, you know!"

"Sain… You don't know how much… I… Thank you…"

Sain grinned. "Yeah, yeah… I know."

* * *

Where could he be?

Wil didn't know how many times he'd asked himself that question in the past couple of hours. He could've sworn he'd searched the castle through at least three times. But he couldn't find Rath _anywhere!_

Where could he be…?

He now regretted avoiding Rath earlier. If he had felt even half as frustrated as Wil did, then Wil wasn't sure if he'd be able to ever forgive himself. He didn't ever want Rath to feel like this. But if only he could find him! Then he'd feel better, and Rath probably would be too, and all the tension would be—

_Stables!_

The thought hit him like he'd hit his nose twice that day. Without wanting to waste anymore time – and swallowing any doubts he had – he ran out to the stables as fast as he could, and flung the doors open dramatically, startling a number of the horses that were held within.

"… Wil?"

_Yes!_ Wil mentally cheered at his victory, but wasted no time dwelling on it. He ran towards Rath and leaped for him, wrapping his arms around his neck and practically strangling the nomad in the process.

"… Wil… I've been looking for—"

"No! Don't say anything!" Wil said, pulling back from Rath a little ways and smiling like a maniac. "I want to tell you about my decision."

"… Decision?"

Wil took in a deep breath. "Rath, I've decided that… I want to go with you to Sacae!"

Rath brushed the other's bangs away from his eyes, but his face showed no hint of emotion. "… Why?" he asked.

"You don't want me to go?"

"… I thought you were going to be the commander of the archery division…"

"Oh!" Wil piped up. "Well, I was going to, but I decided against it, because, I mean, I had my doubts from the start about whether or not I'd be able to do very good with a position like that, but not only that, I'd be without you! And…" Wil clung to the older man again. "… I just… I don't think I could stand that."

He glanced up, blushing at how utterly stupid he must've sounded, only to be met with a soft smile from Rath.

"I'm… glad," he said, struggling for the right words. "… Glad that we… feel the same way."

Wil grinned and pulled Rath down towards him, giving him a clumsy kiss.

"Come," Rath said, threading his fingers through auburn hair. "It is late, and we must get you ready. It will be a long trip."

* * *

A/N: Great googly moogly. This chapter turned out to be a _lot_ longer than I thought it'd be. I hope that makes up for me being so horribly late with it… Oh, and if anyone for whatever reason is wondering what's going on with Mark, it's this idea I had for a sequel that I may or may not write. It features a totally baseless crack pairing. Mark is part of it, because Mark doesn't get enough love and OC tacticians are evil. But I have a lot of fic ideas right now. My attention span can't keep up… 

I'm so sorry if anyone was OOC. Remember, this is my time writing these characters, and please, have mercy. Also sorry if this chapter is choppy. Also also sorry if this is becoming monotonous. I just like parallelism, okay?

Can anybody tell that I love Serra? I know I make her sound super annoying, but she's just so devilishly cute.

Next chapter: SACAE. 'Nuff said.

Plug Time! Everyone, read **metal goat**'s RathWil drabble collection entitled **A OneSided Conversation**. Those things are awesome. EXCEPT THE ANGSTY ONES THAT MAKE ME WANT TO EAT HER BRAIN! But the others are just pure greatness :D You must go read them. Now. … I SAID GO! (RathWilUhai OT3 :D Uhaaaaaaiii!)

Randomly: Has anybody else noticed how much Guy looks like Zhao Yun from Dynasty Warriors? (And a HOORAY for hack-n-slash games!)


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